{"id":2404841,"date":"2025-02-20T17:51:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T22:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-critics-predict-financial-losses-for-revamped-kennedy-center-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-02-20T17:53:42","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T22:53:42","slug":"trump-critics-predict-financial-losses-for-revamped-kennedy-center-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-critics-predict-financial-losses-for-revamped-kennedy-center-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump critics predict financial losses for revamped Kennedy Center &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-critics-predict-financial-losses-for-revamped-kennedy-center-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2404841&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses concerns surrounding President Donald TrumpS recent overhaul \u2063of the Kennedy Centre, which critics fear may jeopardize it&#8217;s financial stability. After appointing himself\u2063 as chairman and replacing key figures associated with the previous governance, Trump aims to eradicate what he terms &#8220;woke&#8221; ideology from the cultural institution.Critics argue that his actions could alienate donors and patrons,as several prominent artists and entities have already withdrawn their support or canceled performances.<\/p>\n<p>Financial experts highlight the difficulties \u200cin fundraising since private donations account for \u200ca large portion \u200dof the Kennedy Center&#8217;s\u200c budget. Concerns are raised over the center&#8217;s \u200creported lack of\u2064 cash reserves and important debts. While some believe Trump&#8217;s fundraising prowess may mitigate these issues, others argue that the loss of established relationships and knowledge\u200c within the institution could hinder its operations.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s administration plans to shift the Kennedy Center&#8217;s focus towards\u2062 programming that appeals to a broader audience, possibly ending diversity and equity initiatives instituted in \u2062the past. the piece underscores the \u2062tension between Trump&#8217;s vision for the center and \u200bthe apprehension from critics about its \u2064future\u2063 viability as a cultural institution.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump critics predict financial losses for revamped Kennedy Center<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1922210\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Fears have risen that President Donald Trump&rsquo;s fresh team at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kennedy-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Kennedy Center<\/a> will usher the cultural hub into a dark financial hole, even as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">White House<\/a>&lsquo;s allies have said the institution&rsquo;s former leaders already pulled it into a quagmire of fiscal ruin.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>By the time Trump finished<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3314840\/trump-appoints-himself-chairman-kennedy-center-board\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> overhauling<\/a> the Kennedy Center earlier this month, he had remade the institution&rsquo;s board with nearly all of his own appointees, replaced&nbsp;David Rubenstein as the center&rsquo;s chairman with himself, and ousted Deborah Rutter as the organization&rsquo;s president.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/patriotism-unity\/3320533\/will-kennedy-center-coup-help-trump-culture-wars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">WILL TRUMP&rsquo;S KENNEDY CENTER COUP HELP HIM WIN THE CULTURE WARS?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yet, even as Trump supporters celebrated his sweep to rid the Kennedy Center of Biden-era appointees and &ldquo;woke&rdquo; ideology, opponents warned that the president&rsquo;s moves could place one of the country&rsquo;s most revered cultural institutions in dire financial straits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Under the new Trump rule, critics such as Michael Kaiser, chairman of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, who served for 13 years as president of the Kennedy Center, believe patrons and donors may no longer wish to support the cultural institution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Several artistic consultants for the Kennedy Center, such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renee Fleming, resigned from their positions, while actor Issa Rae is the most notable celebrity to cancel her sold-out show at the center. Author Louise Penny and the Alfred Street Baptist Church have also canceled appearances at the acclaimed venue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very hefty fund-raising challenge,&rdquo; Kaiser said in comments to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/02\/19\/arts\/trump-kennedy-center-finances.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><em>New York Times<\/em><\/a>. &ldquo;How many of the donors and ticket buyers are not going to renew their giving or their purchase of seats in the new environment?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>While the center received $25 million in emergency funding from the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic, well under a quarter of its budget for fiscal 2025, $45.73 million came from the government. The bulk of funding comes through private donations, ticket sales, and other revenue sources.<\/p>\n<p>Those private funds cover more than three-quarters of the Kennedy Center&rsquo;s budget, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfmt.com\/2025\/02\/17\/trump-has-purged-the-kennedy-centers-board-which-in-turn-made-him-its-chair-why-does-that-matter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">WFMT<\/a>.&nbsp; The center&rsquo;s 2023 annual report said its $286 million in revenue included $152 million from ticket sales, services, and fees and $85 million from donations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>And one of the largest donors to the Kennedy Center was fired as chairman. Before he was ousted, Rubenstein stood as the Kennedy Center&rsquo;s largest-ever donor, giving $111 million to the institution. Rubenstein, owner of the Baltimore Orioles and chairman of the National Gallery of Art and National Constitution Center, planned to serve as chairman of the Kennedy Center through September 2026.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Joe Biden, right, presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation&rsquo;s highest civilian honor, to David Rubenstein in the East Room of the White House, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Trump critics said gutting the center&rsquo;s establishment figures could be detrimental to sustaining the institution.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There is knowledge and relationships that are important to the functioning of a performing art center,&rdquo; Reynold Levy, former president of the Lincoln Center, told the <em>New York Times<\/em>. &ldquo;To the degree that they are gone and the Kennedy Center maintains its mission, it&rsquo;s going to be severely handicapped.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Others are optimistic that Trump&rsquo;s prolific fundraising capabilities will serve the center well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You are not going to have a problem fundraising because people will give money based on the fact that he may be asking them for it,&rdquo; said Karen Brooks Hopkins, who long served the Brooklyn Academy of Music as its president. &ldquo;As we&rsquo;ve seen, he is a very successful fund-raiser.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The new Kennedy Center team contends that its predecessors left the institution in financial disarray. While the center took in nearly $141 million in contributions and grants in fiscal 2023, it ran a million-dollar deficit last year.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Grenell, who was appointed by the new board to replace Rutter as the institution&rsquo;s president, said Kennedy Center CFO Stacey Johnson told him, &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve been digging into debt reserves.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I was briefed today by the CFO of the Kennedy Center on its financial situation. She told me there is ZERO cash on hand. And ZERO in reserves,&rdquo; Grenell <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1889833504562675852\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">said<\/a> in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/disgraced-prof-says-university-threw-her-to-the-wolves-by-refusing-to-defend-her-poetic-post-about-killing-jews\/\" title=\"Disgraced Prof Says University Threw Her to the Wolves by Refusing To Defend Her &#039;Poetic&#039; Post About Killing Jews\">social media post shortly<\/a> after he took the reins at the center. &ldquo;And the deferred maintenance is a crisis. For the past months they&rsquo;ve been digging into the DEBT RESERVES.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We must fix this great institution. The people working hard at the Nation&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">premier performing arts center deserve<\/a> better &ndash; and so do all Americans,&rdquo; Grenell continued.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Grennel later <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SteveGuest\/status\/1889865928558452747\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">reposted a statement<\/a> on social media saying he fired five Kennedy Center executives &ldquo;totaling $2.4 MILLION in salary.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I was briefed today by the CFO of the Kennedy Center on its financial situation. <\/p>\n<p>She told me there is ZERO cash on hand. And ZERO in reserves. And the deferred maintenance is a crisis. <\/p>\n<p>For the past months they&rsquo;ve been digging into the DEBT RESERVES. <\/p>\n<p>We must fix this great&hellip;<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RichardGrenell\/status\/1889833504562675852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 13, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Fresh off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3263326\/conservative-comeback-in-culture-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">cultural shifts revealed in the aftermath<\/a> of the 2024 elections that favored Republicans, Trump himself has signaled unbridled confidence that his revamp of the Kennedy Center will be a storming success.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think we&rsquo;re going to make it hot,&rdquo; he said during a leaked call to his new board this month. &ldquo;And we made the presidency hot, so this should be easy.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The president wants performances hosted by the Kennedy Center &ldquo;to appeal to what he views as a broader, more inclusive and more balanced audience, instead of those that only appeal to half the country,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-reshaping-kennedy-center-board-performances\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">according to<\/a> CBS News, which reported that the White House considers fundraising for the center to be lackluster.<\/p>\n<p>The news came after Trump criticized the institution as too &ldquo;woke&rdquo; and busted it for hosting &ldquo;Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth,&rdquo; an apparent reference to &ldquo;Dragtastic Dress-up,&rdquo; a show last year aimed at LGBT youth.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&rsquo;s takeover of the Kennedy Center will likely end the institution&rsquo;s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives implemented in 2020 and its social justice programs. The president has characterized such efforts as detrimental to the American culture of meritocracy and fairness.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Following the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/facebook-executives-admit-meddling-with-election-backing-biden-in-leaked-video\/\" title=\"Facebook executives admit meddling with election, backing Biden in leaked video\">white police officer<\/a> in 2020, the Kennedy Center created several programs designed to &ldquo;embrace equity&rdquo; and cultivate &ldquo;anti-racist behavior&rdquo; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kennedy-center.org\/social-impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">social justice<\/a> initiatives, among other goals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Internally, the Kennedy Center is committed to fostering an empowering staff culture and strengthening an environment of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. With an intention to deepen and amplify existing internal efforts, the Center is placing additional focus on hiring practices, training, mentoring, and building inclusive culture through intentional actions and commitment,&rdquo; the center announced in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kennedy-center.org\/press-releases\/social-impact-2020-announce\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">press release<\/a> at the time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, May 5, 2017. This year, in honor of the 100th anniversary of former President John F. Kennedy&rsquo;s birth, leaders of the performing arts behemoth are trying to put the Kennedy back into the Kennedy Center, reemphasizing its role as a &ldquo;living memorial&rdquo; to the slain 35th president. (AP Photo\/Susan Walsh)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Kennedy Center was created in 1958 through legislation signed by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It continues to operate under the federal government&rsquo;s jurisdiction as a bureau under the <a href=\"https:\/\/uscode.house.gov\/view.xhtml?hl=false&amp;edition=2023&amp;req=granuleid%3AUSC-2018-title20-chapter3-subchapter5&amp;num=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Smithsonian Institution<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3292730\/all-executive-orders-actions-trump-first-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS, ACTIONS, AND PROCLAMATIONS TRUMP HAS MADE AS PRESIDENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this month, Trump fired board members who were appointed by former President Joe Biden and others, including former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. He also subsequently dismissed half the appointed trustees, appointing new board members such as second lady Usha Vance and Attorney General Pam Bondi.<\/p>\n<p>The Kennedy Center&rsquo;s new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-senator-raphael-warnock-under-investigation-for-voter-registration-misconduct-reports\/\" title=\"Democrat Senator Raphael Warnock Under Investigation For Voter Registration Misconduct: Reports\">board voted unanimously<\/a> to elect Trump to be its new chairman on Feb. 12. The board also fired Rutter, who served as the center&rsquo;s president since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1922210\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1922210\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Critics warn Trump&#8217;s Kennedy Center changes may lead to financial troubles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2404842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/kennedy-center.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4365,50766,50057,3634,32076],"class_list":["post-2404841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-critics","tag-financial-losses","tag-kennedy-center","tag-trump","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/kennedy-center.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2404841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2404841"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2404841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2404845,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2404841\/revisions\/2404845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2404842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2404841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2404841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2404841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}